Brooks Lee needed to consider it. How recently did he play any regular position at second base? He surmises that it happened at Cal Poly’s intramural basketball games. However, that will soon alter.
Lee is at the doorway of the major leagues, less than two years after unexpectedly finding himself with the Minnesota Twins as the eighth pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
With a career-long switch-hitting ability, the shortstop solidified his place among the world’s top 50 prospects by making it to Triple A during his first full professional season.
However, with Carlos Correa committed through at least 2028, it is unlikely that he will become the Twins’ long-term shortstop.
Depending on their ability level, shortstops usually shift to second or third base when they switch positions.
Though opinions among Twins executives over which would suit Lee the best have generally been divided, that argument may already be settled with Royce Lewis growing more at ease at third base. For the foreseeable future, Correa and Lewis seem to be the left side of the infield.
After the trade for Jorge Polanco, Edouard Julien is now starting at second base, where Lee has the best chance of earning a regular role in the Twins lineup in 2024 and beyond.
Though Lee is a far superior defender at second base, Julien is one of the impact hitters around whom future Twins lineups can be constructed. Julien has made significant defensive improvements simply to be playable at second base.
The majors are opening their doors to Brooks Lee. How would the 2024 Twins season look if he contributes to a team that is in contention? Where’s his house of defense? What more is required to complete his offensive profile? Now let’s get started.
From the time he was chosen eighth overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Brooks Lee has obediently followed the route the Twins set out for him.
In just two brief professional seasons, his pre-made professional skill set—which consists of few distinct strengths and few genuine weaknesses—has led him to the majors.
Looking at 2024 Brooks Lee’s minor-league stats, scouting report, and skill set is a wonderful place to start when determining what an important player looks like.
From the left side of the plate, Lee’s switch-hitting shortstop swing appears more refined (more on this later).
In 2023, Lee displayed many of the qualities that made him such a highly sought-after prospect in his class in a sample of about 40 games in Triple A.
He was able to achieve an average exit velocity of 90.6 mph (3.2 mph above league average) and a contact percentage of 76.3% (3.1% above league average).
and 48% of the time (league average 36.2%) hit the ball at or above 95 mph. That is a promising foundation for bat-to-ball abilities and contact quality.
